Broad-scale landscape reconfiguration for multiple benefits
Bold, strategic landscape-scale initiatives have the potential to address the multiple challenges of climate change, loss of biodiversity, salinity, reduced water quality and weeds.
The land and biodiversity white paper Securing Our Natural Future recognises the need to build resilience in the landscape by creating large scale flagship areas and biolinks. But the Victorian government is yet to come up with the funds to put its policy into action. So far, business and philanthropic initiatives are leading the way.
Future Farming Landscapes (FFL) is a VicSuper project that is seeking to buy landscapes to be managed over the long term for best practice agricultural and environmental outcomes. The superannuation fund plans to invest $40 million over 25 years in sustainable development that protects productive landscapes and generates long-term returns to investors alongside benefits for local communities and individuals. The project is based on the premise that the enormous scale of Victoria’s biodiversity challenge will require significant mobilisation of capital – from individuals, community, government and the business sector. (52)
To date, the FFL project has focused predominantly on purchasing land, and is now beginning to explore a range of sustainable agriculture and ecosystem services opportunities. One example of this is exploring the reconfiguration of existing dairy operations to use significantly less water. Other initiatives include low rainfall forestry trials and improving understanding of new irrigation technologies and high value industries. (53) It is worth noting that the FFL project is part of one of VicSuper’s best performing funds, the Equity Growth Sustainability Option. (54)
Habitat 141 is a large-scale, landscape reconfiguration project underway in western Victoria. It is a 50- year plan to restore ecological integrity to some of Australia’s most iconic natural features including parts of the Murray River and the Grampians National Park. The key aim is to reconnect the extensive heathlands and mallee bushlands of the Murray-Sunset, Big Desert, Wyperfeld and Little Desert national parks down through the threatened Buloke Grassy Woodlands to the red gum country, extensive wetlands and rich limestone coastal plains near Portland.
As the largest environment restoration project ever attempted in Victoria, the project will bring together a range of stakeholders to restore wildlife corridors along rivers, creeks, roadsides and on private land and enable species to move throughout the landscape again. To succeed, Greening Australia and its project partners will need to secure blocks of degraded or marginal farmland, either by buying properties or through covenanting arrangements, and replant these areas with a mix of local native plants to increase vegetation cover. Also important is the need to restore degraded bushland, improve the health of local wetlands and waterways and control pests, weeds and salinity. (55)
References
(52) Craig, D. (2007) VicSuper Submission to the ‘Land and biodiversity at a time of climate change’ consultation paper
(53) Future Farming Landscapes, Vic Super at http://www.sustainabilityreport.vicsuper.com.au/www/html/1884-case-study-future-farming-landscapes.asp
(54) http://www.vicsuper.com.au/www/html/2238-gross-investment-returns-for-the-past-12-months.asp?intSiteID=1, viewed 22/3/10
(55) Habitat 141 – Connecting the Outback to the Ocean, Greening Australia
